Two of NASA’s iconic data-gathering missions, essential for monitoring carbon dioxide levels and agricultural health, are at risk of termination as the Trump administration aims to slash the agency’s budget. The Orbiting Carbon Observatories (OCOs), launched more than ten years ago, revolutionized the collection of carbon data and the science of greenhouse gases, greatly improving our comprehension of environmental effects. These satellites play a crucial role in studying greenhouse gases, extreme weather, climate-related disasters, and practical uses like predicting the impact of green transportation on emissions and mapping global plant photosynthesis and agricultural failures.
OCO-2, operational since 2014, quantifies regional carbon dioxide sources and natural “carbon sinks.” OCO-3, which was launched in 2020, builds on previous missions and is stationed on the International Space Station. NPR indicates that maintaining these satellites costs the government approximately $15 million each year. While their instruments were expected to function for several additional years, NASA personnel are now formulating plans for their decommissioning.
To preserve its missions, NASA is pursuing private scientific collaborations as the Trump administration and other Republican figures escalate their resistance to climate change science. In June, President Trump closed the federal climate.gov website, redirecting traffic to NOAA’s climate page, following an executive order in May that set a new “gold standard” for federal scientific research. This directive enables agency leaders to categorize research that does not conform to its guidelines as “scientific misconduct.”
Trump’s funding for the federal space program has diminished compared to his initial term, yet his position on climate policy remains constant. In 2019, he directed the withholding of climate modeling research in federal reports and the removal of federal climate change websites hosted by the EPA.
Recently, Sean Duffy, transportation secretary and acting NASA administrator, along with other agency officials, has started proactively downsizing NASA’s workforce and organization to conform to a suggested 2026 budget reduction. This cut would eliminate $6 billion in financing and discontinue numerous scientific programs and missions, as per Reuters.
In opposition, scores of NASA employees signed a letter contesting the proposed budget, stating: “We feel obliged to voice our concerns when our leadership places political momentum above human safety, scientific progress, and responsible use of public funds. These reductions are arbitrary and have been implemented in contravention of congressional appropriations law. The repercussions for the agency and the nation are severe.” The letter emphasizes the irreversible loss of decommissioned spacecraft and mission observations, alongside reductions in research related to “space science, aeronautics, and Earth’s stewardship.”